It was a job interview like any other; I was sitting in front of my laptop, nerves rolling while I waited for my interviewer to ask me the first question. I reminded myself to take a breath and stop tapping my fingers on the counter. Except, I wasn't dressed up, I didn't care what random kitchen appliances or laundry were visible in my camera background and, most importantly, my interviewer was AI.

AI interview prep is a new generative AI feature from LinkedIn that uses existing LinkedIn job postings to create a short, personalized mock interview. The AI can understand the job description, create questions based on the role and give you feedback after the interview is complete. 

I got an early look at the new feature before its launch, and it was a surprisingly realistic interview experience, for better or worse.

"As somebody who has interviewed a lot before, it sucks," Sharon Gao, product lead at LinkedIn, said with a laugh in an interview. "Before, you would have to take a course or pay for a coach." Now, with the AI interview tool, you can practice with a "tool that's personalized to the job that you want to apply to."

LinkedIn's new AI interview prep tool is rolling out soon in English to all premium subscribers. You'll be able to use the new tool for job postings LinkedIn deems you would be a medium to high match for -- if you're not likely to be a good fit for the role, it won't let you do a mock interview. Here's how my testing went, including the one piece of AI-generated feedback that was the most useful.

Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Interviewing with AI

To begin, I went to LinkedIn's job tab and selected a posting for a senior writer. LinkedIn flagged that it would be a good match for me based on the experience and skills I already have on my LinkedIn profile, so I scrolled down and clicked "Practice an interview." I was then sent to a Zoom-like meeting room (no cameras, just audio). 

My AI interviewer began by explaining the process and reminding me that nothing I said in the mock interview would be shared with any company. It then asked me five questions related to the role. Those questions were very obviously pulled from the job description, sometimes word for word. But it was nice not to have to come up with suitable interview questions by myself.

The AI uses a general knowledge base to create the interview questions, which are then refined based on the qualifications outlined in the job posting, according to Gao. That aims to make it a useful tool no matter the industry you're hoping to work in. While developing the tool, the LinkedIn team also reached out to their colleagues in different roles to assess what interviews for each job looked like.

"We took feedback from the people we talk to and added them as examples into our prompt as a little golden set to help the LLM understand what it means to have a good question for a software engineer versus a salesperson," said Gao.

Read More: Is AI Putting Jobs at Risk? A Recent Survey Found an Important Distinction

The response time was quick, with only 30 seconds or so between the end of my answer and the AI's response. That helped keep the interview flowing naturally, or as naturally as possible, between one human and one AI. It felt very similar to using ChatGPT-5's voice mode.

Rehearsing your answers aloud is a great way to prepare for an interview. Oftentimes, the ideas I have in my head never come out as eloquently as I plan on the first try. Practicing how you explain your work experience, management style or skills is incredibly useful. You can take your time to think before you answer the AI, something you might not want to do in a real interview. You can interview with the AI as many times as you want. 

You don't get much of a response or feedback during the interview. After I finished my answer, the AI spit back an abbreviated version of what I said, usually in a positive light -- "Yes, calendar blocks are an effective way to manage your time," for example. But you get more useful notes once you finish the session.

Once your mock interview is over, the AI takes a minute or two to analyze your responses before bringing you to a new window with a scorecard. You get a readiness score, a sliding scale from low to high. But the most helpful part for me was how the AI analyzed the transcript of our interview and flagged places where my responses could've been improved. 

For example, the AI highlighted how some of my answers went on a little too long and would've benefited from being more concise. But instead of just telling me to get to the point, it gave me a real example of how I could rephrase my answer to avoid getting lost in the details. Having an example of an alternative response is way more helpful than just being told to improve certain things and figure out how to do so on your own. That's why it was my favorite part of the feedback.

Final thoughts: This is a good use of AI in hiring

Job hunters, recruiters and everyone in between have seen how AI has infiltrated every step of the hiring process. Some applicants rely on chatbots to write their resumes and cover letters, while employers utilize AI-enabled systems to help them sort through applications. Resume writing and career prep services seemingly everywhere claim they know the key to getting your resume past AI screening software.

If that wasn't bad enough, some people then end up speaking to AI interviewers for initial screening calls, needing to make it past the bot's requirements to reach the next round of interviews with a real person. AI is one of many reasons that today's job market is hell, as The Atlantic's Annie Lowrey succinctly phrased it earlier this year.

It's because of all this that I was initially wary about an AI-powered tool that claimed to make this process easier. LinkedIn's AI interview prep tool doesn't solve any of these problems, but it does illustrate how generative AI could make the process less painful and more productive. It's a practical, focused tool that can help you refine your existing skills.

This seems like it would be a great tool for early-career job hunters, especially those who just graduated and may not have much interviewing experience. It's also a great option for folks who may not have mentors or people in their professional network who can help them prepare. 

At the very least, using this tool is one way to build confidence before an interview. And if AI can make that small part of the job hunting process better, it's worth exploring.

For more, check out why AI might be able to do some of your work tasks without stealing your job.